Thursday, 21 March 2024

Liberating My Thinking

 



I have made a good start to March 2024 after some inconsistent form. Firstly, I have qualified again for the Sunday Million via the freeroll Power Path route. I will be playing late March or early April and will be thrilled to repeat my cashing performance from last November. I then enjoyed a decent win on 11th March, my wife’s fiftieth birthday! I came 1st of 275 in a $3 progressive bounty tournament including a whopping 18 eliminations! The total return of $173. A week later I came second in the same tournament. 2nd of 270 with a return of $89 including a more modest 6 eliminations. Understandably I am playing this tournament as often as I can, perhaps 5 or 6 times a week. During the victory I made good use of big stack, using controlled aggression. However, in truth, the key factor was good fortune, winning more than my fair share of coin-flips, allowing me to keep wielding my big stack.


I love getting these winning e-mails like this from Pokerstars:

Dear Kartajana,

You finished the tournament in 1st place. Congratulations!
A $2.87 USD award was credited to your Stars Account upon reaching the money, and the remaining $63.24 USD award was credited when you finished the tourney.
You have also received USD 106.53 in Knockout Bounties for this tournament. You won bounties for the following players: slimJD245, wagnerjsilva, AlisRagnar, momola1970, Nr.1_Serg, MWWW18, bk_odnodnevka, thaabest, Luck3y_8, Slim8r, biglolANGEL, MAFIAAZUL338, dyna140, stellalouise, elchapohani, G. Costa12, OOIngo, KOWJAIMAI, Kartajana
Note: As you won the tournament, you also won your own bounty.


I have been focusing on some new thinking recently prompted by the teachings of BlackRain79 – Essentially focusing on good play, maximising returns in my good poker sessions and minimising losses in my bad ones. When I am playing confidently and well I now play for longer and perhaps at higher stakes. When I am a little tired or frustrated and not playing good poker I stop firing up new games and wind down the session or play at lower stakes. It’s not rocket science but it seems to be working even though I am not implementing it consistently. However, the effect is to feel more positive about both winning and in particular losing sessions. OK I lost but it could and should have been worse. This has genuinely been a liberating approach for my poker.

Good Luck

Jason (Kartajana)


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